Actually, I'm just doing what my boss wants. One of our websites was originally set up with a rolling menu navigation system (borrowed from the old MSDN site), whihc never worked with anything but IE. Tried to convince boss that we should redesign the site to work with all browsers (since I use firefox whenever possible) but the response was "99.9% of our clients probably use IE, and the sysem works as. We are not spending money on fixing something that's not a problem". My response was that the web logs show 99.9% of all hit being from IE because nothing else can get past the front page, and was told that if the other browser users can't access the site, then put up a sign on the front page saying IE required.
I've avoided crackberries and similar products like the plague since they came out.My pda has a cable that connects it to my cell phone if I really need to get on the net for something... I picked up a treo a while ago and immediatly put it back down on the shelf. If I want to make a phone call, I'll use something small that resembles a phone. if I want to surf the net or send email, I'll use a computer, and if I want to set up a meeting on my planner, I'll use a palm pilot that is designed to be an agenda. Combine too much together and you have a device that's too large for it's main purpose, to small for it's secondary purposes, and generaly not equiped to handle any of it's jobs properly. Now with blackberries proving they don't have a solid network, it's just one more excuse for me to keep avoiding them. My desk phone forwards to my cell, my voicemail sends a SMS message to my cell, urgent emails send a sms message to my cell... servers page me by sending a SMS message to my cell... I don't really need any more instant information... if it's a critical issue call me... Any important server issues that are detected by the servers can easily be summarized into a SMS message, which has been around for a while and has been relatively stable. Actually 90% of the server messages I receive fall into ("Application log full", "Power fault, UPS active", "Power restored", "Server X is rebooting" or "Server X is MIA")
I could easily have someone arrested for using my wireless network... It's completely open because I want any of my customers to be able to use it without any annoying setup, but I have physical security in place... For me, it's very simple, My home/office is far enough from neighbors and public roads that the signal doesn't extend that far, so a person has to physicaly be on my property to use the signal. Because of that physical limitation, a client or guest is perfectly welcome on my property, but anyone who parks to use my wireless network that is not a guest or client has no invitation,and is therefore tresspassing.
when I'm looking to buy a OEM system that will get a different OS, I usually order with the smallest HDD I can, then swap the drive for a large one so that if I have problems I can just revert to the original configuration...
I also have managed to freak out the cablec company's tech when he had to do an onsite call. He checked all outside wiring, then had to check to make sure the connection worked at the end-point. I think he nearly soiled himself when he saw my office full of computers, and several test networks with cables running all over the place... He was quite relieved when I walked him past it to a small desk with the modem, and one laptop... HEy, I know they only support as far as one computer connected to the modem... The other junk is all mine, and it's my job to know how to fix it...
Typing a text message is no more dangerous than constantly glancing at the person you are talking to in the back seat, reading the paper, eating a sandwich, or whatever other distracion you care to name, IF you don't have to stare constantly at the phone! I have used SMS enough that I can type on the keypad almost as quickly as on a keyboard (with word recognition) and like typing on a keyboard I hardly ever even glance at the thing... I usually type out the message, then just a glance will show any errors, and if the message is readable, send it. Personally I don't find it any more distracting than smoking a cigarette while driving.
Simple law would be to require both hands on the wheel unless shifting. This would eliminate just about any major distraction (playing with radio, eating, reading newspaper/book, makeup, phones, etc).
Instead of spending a lot of time aruging over laws, why not just pump a pile of cash into the wireless industry to include voice-to-text on all new phones? Many places are now requiring hands-free equipment, so make the phones capible of SMS hands free.
I wouldn't be so fussy or complain about OEM machines if they offered a no-OS choice! Since very few OEM machines offer a no-OS choice (if any) while offering decent hardware (ie not emachine) I usually end up paying more to build the system since I can't get the volume pricing these guys get! I think I'll probably be building a lot more now since my clients are going to be less likely to buy a VISTA system, and only the medium/large buisness section is still offering XP...
My parents have a farm, and I usually help out in the morning before going to work. With the time change in april, it wasn't too bad, but now, I'm needing to get up before it's light out, and I'm still driving home from work in the dark so DST does nothing useful for me! I'd rather it be light out at 5:30 when I have to get up than at 6:00 pm when I'm making my last pot of coffee for the day.
And that is why I have an accountant do my taxes for me, and file them at the last minute... Just squeek by the deadline, and let all the well intentioned folks who file early beta test the system for me...
My ISP does at some peak times during holidays tend to lag. Not a serious problem for me though. My solution is often just to open a remote desktop on my server, located in one of the biggest datacenters in Montreal, or a clients server. Often for large downloads, I'll download onto my server first, then rar the archive across multiple files to have several smaller downloads.
Of course,if it was truely a global problem, the almighty dollar would still have impact. I have a DSL provider, and a second cable ISP available in my area, and could easily set up a router to handle multiple connections... If the actual backbone connections started to suffer congestion, then I still wouldn't care that much because my internet access is mostly buisness stuff anyway, so my clients that I work for remotly would simply have to pay more for my connections, pay more for wait time, and in the end, pay more...
Also, if there was a major bandwidth shortage, and the heavy flash/shockwave sites were no longer getting traffic because people couldn't download the content, the sites would probably have a ligher structure appear VERY QUICKLY. No successful traffice means no income, so changes will be made quickly to insure successful traffice, and income.
I don't want to mess with WEP keys either, so I use mac addresses for security. Find it very simple... Friend comes to visit, I clear the log, and the refresh right after he tries to hit a webpage, copy and paste the mac addr into the approved list, and then he's good to go any time he stops by. Of course, someone with a lot of time (and access to my propery since I the road is beyond the signal range) could sit there all day spoofing addresses to try to find a valid one...
At work, I got even more creative... guests visiting for a meeting often don't have the technical ability to set up a WEP key, so I simply threw in a proxy between the AP and the network. Valid domain accounts pass through, anyone else will have everything except port 80 dropped unless they have been authorized. and all web page requests are redirected to a login page on the proxy, with will authorize their IP for 4 hours, and their system is pinged every 2 minutes. 2 missed pings, and they are automatically logged out from the proxy, requiring a login again. There is even a page available to all management where temporary passwords can be created for a fixed length of time, preventing the client from coming back the next day and sitting in the parkinglot for free internet...
Just because they are not activly investing the money doesn't mean there is no interest being generated. With the funds they deal with, even the fraction of a percent interest that a standard bank account would generate, there must be some significant interest being generated. Or are you thinking because they are not a back, the money that is sent to them is held in a big mattress until someone pulls it out? I also wouldn't be surprised if they have formulas to predict how much money is transferred around on a daily basis, add some insain buffer to make sure they don't get too low, and put the rest of the funds into sort/medium term GICs or t-bills, or similar guaranteed investiments.
The HVAC system for my server died about 2 years ago, and pending a major overhaul of the server room (scheduled for August, but no actual year specified) I was told to put in a small window mount unit until the reconstruction is finishd, then get a good system. Got the largest model that I could find, and it can hold the room (6x15x8) a nice toasty 80 degrees, and would overload and freeze up on average once a week during the summer, and now, on average every night with cooler temperatures external temperatures.
My hack to solve the heat issues after refusal from management to allow me to move the A/C to have the hot side running into the shop area, or install a proper system, was to sacrifice physical security, set the ac to fan only, and install 2 large fans, one blowing on the equipment racks, both doors open, with the other fan moving air through the room. I don't like having the room open to anyone who walks by, but I like the 130 defree temperatures even less (expecially when I have to go into the room several times a day)
My parents never encouraged alcohol consumption, but never prevented it either. Even at a young age (12 or so) if we were are a party, I could have a glass of wine or champagne if I wanted it. Now, at 25, I have found that a couple shots of whisky taste very good after work. Sure if I know people at the bar, I might stick around for a while, and maybe drink a bit more, but I have been wasted ONCE, at my college grad party, and drunk to the point where I didn't trust myself to drive maybe twice. I personally don't see a point in drinking to get drunk. I enjoy my alcohol, no denying hat, but when I drink too much, it's not so much that I want to be drunk as that I was with friends, having a good time, and lost track of time, and consumption.
Of course, unless I'm going to be buying a couple rounds, my usual safeguard is to carry only $20 on my when I go to the bar, which will ammount to 4 drinks MAX.
I'll agree as well, they are not the most effective way, but with a carefully designed setup, and well chosen lists they be very helpful. I use several RBLs and if I find 3 or more hits for the IP, I reject the mail completely, not analysis needed on my end. With the quantites of email that I process every day, I'd need at least one extra server to handle baysean filtering of all the spam that is being blocked by the RBLs.
My cards have no signature, but a clearly printed "Check Identification" on the back. I use my VISA almost everywhere, and estimate that I am asked for my licence maybe once a month at the most. A lot of people hang onto the card until I sign the slip, then pretend to look at both, then hand over the card. Then there is the occasional person who has neve heard of doing that. One guy told me that it was illegal to do that, and another refused to process the sale, until I called VISA on my cellphone, to ask if that could be done.
I understand places like the gas station that I stop at every couple days to buy cigarettes, or the delli that I buy lunch at almost every day, since they all know me, but a grocery store where I seldom ever see the same person twice should really be checking the cards!
He idea of blocking outbound port 25 traffic without exception is stupid! I have a co-location server that handles my email along with other things,I want to handle my own outgoing email as well so that my filters will auto-whitelist people I email, and will learn from the content I send as well as what I receive. Set it up from work, and everything was nice, plugged my laptop in at home, no dice. Called my ISP, and they simply told me that port 25 was blocked for all users, no way they can open it up for one person! Now, if other broadband providers were available in my area I'd be happy to change, but my solution had to be to open another instance of my mail server on a higher port...
I normally drive a Civic Hybrid, and will draft at times (yes, it does give a noticible improvement in gas mileage), however, I will only ride that close behind a semi IF I can communicate with him. I have a CB radio for just this reason. When you are driving a foot or 2 behind something that large, you can't see anything in front, just his tailgate. The trucker, on the other hand can usuaully see a good ways ahead, and know what's happening, unless it's heavy traffic. Since he can see the road ahead, he can usually give warning if something is going to happen, and I can back off. Traffic lights are a good example. Can't see the light through him, but if he's burning it through on yellow, and I know, I can stop instead of being half way through a red light before seeing it.
One time, I got one word over the radio that probably saved me. "Deer". The trucker had seen a deer in a field running, and as soon as I heard him, I started backing off, and 5 seconds later, he was breaking for all he was worth.
>Tailgating at night is particularly bothersome
In a compact car you are often blinded, but try a large pickup or industrial van, and these little buggers can completely disappear when they get too close.
Was at the bank last week depositing some checks, and halfway through the transaction an electrician tripped the wrong beaker... Next thing I knew, I saw a windows NT booting up... In the end, it took the atm almost 10 minutes to get up and running! Of course, I could be bothered waiting for it, I went to see a teller as soon as their terminals were back up, to see if my transaction made it through. I was lucky, and it has posted just before the power went, so I was only lacking the receipt.
God, why would a bank use such old technology, and have a program on it that takes so long to load? I developed a linux system for a client that basically turned their employee ID cards into credit cards. The cafeteria, supplies room, and various other points that required employees to transfer either personal or department funds around had a microATX system that would boot in under 30 seconds, and had a card reader to allow the swipe of their employee card, and then depening on the "sale code" it would charge their personal account to be deducted from their pay, their department for costing, or offer the choice (in case they wanted office supplies to take home) Of course, it didn't have the same security level as a bank (I hope!!!) but added security shouldn't cause a system to be too much slower. Some points even used dialup, and could still complete a transfer in half the time an ATM or POS transaction usually takes.
Blind people who use cash already have methods to tell bills apart. The only one I'm really familiar with is folding the bills in different ways. If you get the money from a cash counter, you will probably ony get 20s now (at least anywhere I go you do) so you have your starting point... If you need other denominations, no point in asking the teller at the bank to help you, just ask for 5 tens, then ask for 10 fives... Actually, this method works fairly well, except when getting change back, if you receive a mix of bills, but the solution is simply to carry around enough of each bill to be able to come close, and know which bill you are getting back... ie I need to pay $26, so if I give $30, I'll have 4 $1 bills, but if I hand over $40, I could have a ten, or 2 fives and the 4 ones... even then, counting the bills should tell you what you got, and if the person at the cash is any good, the largest denominations should be at the bottom. If you don't want to ask for help, just shove the bills in another pocket, and then go to the bank at the end of the week, and have the teller write out the deposit slip for you...
you are lucky then. I'm seeing about 80% spam in my inbox, after the my filters serverside (including 6 RBLs and SPAMASSASSIN) and my clientside filter (thunderbird's baysian filter).
let's check my stats for the last 24 hours
valid mail : 3 joke list, 1 email from a client, and 2 reports from my server=6 valid email
spam in inbox 73 messages
spam in junk box 83
spamassassin blocked 859 messages
postfix rejected 9867 connections based on rbl and dns tests.
that's about 99.995% spam addressed to my domain.
Note, I have the lot of rfc addresses, and 2 user accounts, I average about 100,000 dropped because of non-existant users and even more failed relays every week.
How can you tell the difference between
-a guy with a cell phone sitting in his car, stuck in traffic
-A guy with a cell phone parked on the side of the road,
-A guy with a cell phone zipping through traffic on a bike/rollerblades/skateboard/etc?
-A guy with a cell phone walking along the side of the road
-A guy with a cell phone sitting in his office near the road or sitting in a roadside cafe?
with the accuracy mentioned, A secondary road that sees little traffic outside of rush hour, lined with office buildings is likely to look more congested than the main artery that is choked up, but still crawling...
I hear you there... Nothing beats spending 4 hours sitting there drinking coffee, then walking out asking a co-worker if he had any idea what the purpose was. Only thing I find worse than an office meeting is a church meeting, that I'm not paid to attend, but don't seem to have much choice...
The ATM Terminals for my bank have the front keypad tied to transactions only. Want real access? then you have to get past the buildings security systems, into a locked room, unlock the back panel then unlock the cash drawers or enter a password to access the machine. (I was contracted to do the cabling when my branch added a 2nd machine.)
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Actually, I'm just doing what my boss wants. One of our websites was originally set up with a rolling menu navigation system (borrowed from the old MSDN site), whihc never worked with anything but IE. Tried to convince boss that we should redesign the site to work with all browsers (since I use firefox whenever possible) but the response was "99.9% of our clients probably use IE, and the sysem works as. We are not spending money on fixing something that's not a problem". My response was that the web logs show 99.9% of all hit being from IE because nothing else can get past the front page, and was told that if the other browser users can't access the site, then put up a sign on the front page saying IE required.
I've avoided crackberries and similar products like the plague since they came out.My pda has a cable that connects it to my cell phone if I really need to get on the net for something... I picked up a treo a while ago and immediatly put it back down on the shelf. If I want to make a phone call, I'll use something small that resembles a phone. if I want to surf the net or send email, I'll use a computer, and if I want to set up a meeting on my planner, I'll use a palm pilot that is designed to be an agenda. Combine too much together and you have a device that's too large for it's main purpose, to small for it's secondary purposes, and generaly not equiped to handle any of it's jobs properly. Now with blackberries proving they don't have a solid network, it's just one more excuse for me to keep avoiding them. My desk phone forwards to my cell, my voicemail sends a SMS message to my cell, urgent emails send a sms message to my cell... servers page me by sending a SMS message to my cell... I don't really need any more instant information... if it's a critical issue call me... Any important server issues that are detected by the servers can easily be summarized into a SMS message, which has been around for a while and has been relatively stable. Actually 90% of the server messages I receive fall into ("Application log full", "Power fault, UPS active", "Power restored", "Server X is rebooting" or "Server X is MIA")
I could easily have someone arrested for using my wireless network... It's completely open because I want any of my customers to be able to use it without any annoying setup, but I have physical security in place... For me, it's very simple, My home/office is far enough from neighbors and public roads that the signal doesn't extend that far, so a person has to physicaly be on my property to use the signal. Because of that physical limitation, a client or guest is perfectly welcome on my property, but anyone who parks to use my wireless network that is not a guest or client has no invitation,and is therefore tresspassing.
when I'm looking to buy a OEM system that will get a different OS, I usually order with the smallest HDD I can, then swap the drive for a large one so that if I have problems I can just revert to the original configuration...
I also have managed to freak out the cablec company's tech when he had to do an onsite call. He checked all outside wiring, then had to check to make sure the connection worked at the end-point. I think he nearly soiled himself when he saw my office full of computers, and several test networks with cables running all over the place... He was quite relieved when I walked him past it to a small desk with the modem, and one laptop... HEy, I know they only support as far as one computer connected to the modem... The other junk is all mine, and it's my job to know how to fix it...
Typing a text message is no more dangerous than constantly glancing at the person you are talking to in the back seat, reading the paper, eating a sandwich, or whatever other distracion you care to name, IF you don't have to stare constantly at the phone! I have used SMS enough that I can type on the keypad almost as quickly as on a keyboard (with word recognition) and like typing on a keyboard I hardly ever even glance at the thing... I usually type out the message, then just a glance will show any errors, and if the message is readable, send it. Personally I don't find it any more distracting than smoking a cigarette while driving. Simple law would be to require both hands on the wheel unless shifting. This would eliminate just about any major distraction (playing with radio, eating, reading newspaper/book, makeup, phones, etc). Instead of spending a lot of time aruging over laws, why not just pump a pile of cash into the wireless industry to include voice-to-text on all new phones? Many places are now requiring hands-free equipment, so make the phones capible of SMS hands free.
I wouldn't be so fussy or complain about OEM machines if they offered a no-OS choice! Since very few OEM machines offer a no-OS choice (if any) while offering decent hardware (ie not emachine) I usually end up paying more to build the system since I can't get the volume pricing these guys get! I think I'll probably be building a lot more now since my clients are going to be less likely to buy a VISTA system, and only the medium/large buisness section is still offering XP...
My parents have a farm, and I usually help out in the morning before going to work. With the time change in april, it wasn't too bad, but now, I'm needing to get up before it's light out, and I'm still driving home from work in the dark so DST does nothing useful for me! I'd rather it be light out at 5:30 when I have to get up than at 6:00 pm when I'm making my last pot of coffee for the day.
And that is why I have an accountant do my taxes for me, and file them at the last minute... Just squeek by the deadline, and let all the well intentioned folks who file early beta test the system for me...
My ISP does at some peak times during holidays tend to lag. Not a serious problem for me though. My solution is often just to open a remote desktop on my server, located in one of the biggest datacenters in Montreal, or a clients server. Often for large downloads, I'll download onto my server first, then rar the archive across multiple files to have several smaller downloads. Of course,if it was truely a global problem, the almighty dollar would still have impact. I have a DSL provider, and a second cable ISP available in my area, and could easily set up a router to handle multiple connections... If the actual backbone connections started to suffer congestion, then I still wouldn't care that much because my internet access is mostly buisness stuff anyway, so my clients that I work for remotly would simply have to pay more for my connections, pay more for wait time, and in the end, pay more... Also, if there was a major bandwidth shortage, and the heavy flash/shockwave sites were no longer getting traffic because people couldn't download the content, the sites would probably have a ligher structure appear VERY QUICKLY. No successful traffice means no income, so changes will be made quickly to insure successful traffice, and income.
I don't want to mess with WEP keys either, so I use mac addresses for security. Find it very simple... Friend comes to visit, I clear the log, and the refresh right after he tries to hit a webpage, copy and paste the mac addr into the approved list, and then he's good to go any time he stops by. Of course, someone with a lot of time (and access to my propery since I the road is beyond the signal range) could sit there all day spoofing addresses to try to find a valid one... At work, I got even more creative... guests visiting for a meeting often don't have the technical ability to set up a WEP key, so I simply threw in a proxy between the AP and the network. Valid domain accounts pass through, anyone else will have everything except port 80 dropped unless they have been authorized. and all web page requests are redirected to a login page on the proxy, with will authorize their IP for 4 hours, and their system is pinged every 2 minutes. 2 missed pings, and they are automatically logged out from the proxy, requiring a login again. There is even a page available to all management where temporary passwords can be created for a fixed length of time, preventing the client from coming back the next day and sitting in the parkinglot for free internet...
Just because they are not activly investing the money doesn't mean there is no interest being generated. With the funds they deal with, even the fraction of a percent interest that a standard bank account would generate, there must be some significant interest being generated. Or are you thinking because they are not a back, the money that is sent to them is held in a big mattress until someone pulls it out? I also wouldn't be surprised if they have formulas to predict how much money is transferred around on a daily basis, add some insain buffer to make sure they don't get too low, and put the rest of the funds into sort/medium term GICs or t-bills, or similar guaranteed investiments.
The HVAC system for my server died about 2 years ago, and pending a major overhaul of the server room (scheduled for August, but no actual year specified) I was told to put in a small window mount unit until the reconstruction is finishd, then get a good system. Got the largest model that I could find, and it can hold the room (6x15x8) a nice toasty 80 degrees, and would overload and freeze up on average once a week during the summer, and now, on average every night with cooler temperatures external temperatures. My hack to solve the heat issues after refusal from management to allow me to move the A/C to have the hot side running into the shop area, or install a proper system, was to sacrifice physical security, set the ac to fan only, and install 2 large fans, one blowing on the equipment racks, both doors open, with the other fan moving air through the room. I don't like having the room open to anyone who walks by, but I like the 130 defree temperatures even less (expecially when I have to go into the room several times a day)
My parents never encouraged alcohol consumption, but never prevented it either. Even at a young age (12 or so) if we were are a party, I could have a glass of wine or champagne if I wanted it. Now, at 25, I have found that a couple shots of whisky taste very good after work. Sure if I know people at the bar, I might stick around for a while, and maybe drink a bit more, but I have been wasted ONCE, at my college grad party, and drunk to the point where I didn't trust myself to drive maybe twice. I personally don't see a point in drinking to get drunk. I enjoy my alcohol, no denying hat, but when I drink too much, it's not so much that I want to be drunk as that I was with friends, having a good time, and lost track of time, and consumption. Of course, unless I'm going to be buying a couple rounds, my usual safeguard is to carry only $20 on my when I go to the bar, which will ammount to 4 drinks MAX.
I'll agree as well, they are not the most effective way, but with a carefully designed setup, and well chosen lists they be very helpful. I use several RBLs and if I find 3 or more hits for the IP, I reject the mail completely, not analysis needed on my end. With the quantites of email that I process every day, I'd need at least one extra server to handle baysean filtering of all the spam that is being blocked by the RBLs.
My cards have no signature, but a clearly printed "Check Identification" on the back. I use my VISA almost everywhere, and estimate that I am asked for my licence maybe once a month at the most. A lot of people hang onto the card until I sign the slip, then pretend to look at both, then hand over the card. Then there is the occasional person who has neve heard of doing that. One guy told me that it was illegal to do that, and another refused to process the sale, until I called VISA on my cellphone, to ask if that could be done. I understand places like the gas station that I stop at every couple days to buy cigarettes, or the delli that I buy lunch at almost every day, since they all know me, but a grocery store where I seldom ever see the same person twice should really be checking the cards!
He idea of blocking outbound port 25 traffic without exception is stupid! I have a co-location server that handles my email along with other things,I want to handle my own outgoing email as well so that my filters will auto-whitelist people I email, and will learn from the content I send as well as what I receive. Set it up from work, and everything was nice, plugged my laptop in at home, no dice. Called my ISP, and they simply told me that port 25 was blocked for all users, no way they can open it up for one person! Now, if other broadband providers were available in my area I'd be happy to change, but my solution had to be to open another instance of my mail server on a higher port...
I normally drive a Civic Hybrid, and will draft at times (yes, it does give a noticible improvement in gas mileage), however, I will only ride that close behind a semi IF I can communicate with him. I have a CB radio for just this reason. When you are driving a foot or 2 behind something that large, you can't see anything in front, just his tailgate. The trucker, on the other hand can usuaully see a good ways ahead, and know what's happening, unless it's heavy traffic. Since he can see the road ahead, he can usually give warning if something is going to happen, and I can back off. Traffic lights are a good example. Can't see the light through him, but if he's burning it through on yellow, and I know, I can stop instead of being half way through a red light before seeing it. One time, I got one word over the radio that probably saved me. "Deer". The trucker had seen a deer in a field running, and as soon as I heard him, I started backing off, and 5 seconds later, he was breaking for all he was worth.
>Tailgating at night is particularly bothersome In a compact car you are often blinded, but try a large pickup or industrial van, and these little buggers can completely disappear when they get too close.
Was at the bank last week depositing some checks, and halfway through the transaction an electrician tripped the wrong beaker... Next thing I knew, I saw a windows NT booting up... In the end, it took the atm almost 10 minutes to get up and running! Of course, I could be bothered waiting for it, I went to see a teller as soon as their terminals were back up, to see if my transaction made it through. I was lucky, and it has posted just before the power went, so I was only lacking the receipt. God, why would a bank use such old technology, and have a program on it that takes so long to load? I developed a linux system for a client that basically turned their employee ID cards into credit cards. The cafeteria, supplies room, and various other points that required employees to transfer either personal or department funds around had a microATX system that would boot in under 30 seconds, and had a card reader to allow the swipe of their employee card, and then depening on the "sale code" it would charge their personal account to be deducted from their pay, their department for costing, or offer the choice (in case they wanted office supplies to take home) Of course, it didn't have the same security level as a bank (I hope!!!) but added security shouldn't cause a system to be too much slower. Some points even used dialup, and could still complete a transfer in half the time an ATM or POS transaction usually takes.
Blind people who use cash already have methods to tell bills apart. The only one I'm really familiar with is folding the bills in different ways. If you get the money from a cash counter, you will probably ony get 20s now (at least anywhere I go you do) so you have your starting point... If you need other denominations, no point in asking the teller at the bank to help you, just ask for 5 tens, then ask for 10 fives... Actually, this method works fairly well, except when getting change back, if you receive a mix of bills, but the solution is simply to carry around enough of each bill to be able to come close, and know which bill you are getting back... ie I need to pay $26, so if I give $30, I'll have 4 $1 bills, but if I hand over $40, I could have a ten, or 2 fives and the 4 ones... even then, counting the bills should tell you what you got, and if the person at the cash is any good, the largest denominations should be at the bottom. If you don't want to ask for help, just shove the bills in another pocket, and then go to the bank at the end of the week, and have the teller write out the deposit slip for you...
you are lucky then. I'm seeing about 80% spam in my inbox, after the my filters serverside (including 6 RBLs and SPAMASSASSIN) and my clientside filter (thunderbird's baysian filter). let's check my stats for the last 24 hours valid mail : 3 joke list, 1 email from a client, and 2 reports from my server=6 valid email spam in inbox 73 messages spam in junk box 83 spamassassin blocked 859 messages postfix rejected 9867 connections based on rbl and dns tests. that's about 99.995% spam addressed to my domain. Note, I have the lot of rfc addresses, and 2 user accounts, I average about 100,000 dropped because of non-existant users and even more failed relays every week.
How can you tell the difference between -a guy with a cell phone sitting in his car, stuck in traffic -A guy with a cell phone parked on the side of the road, -A guy with a cell phone zipping through traffic on a bike/rollerblades/skateboard/etc? -A guy with a cell phone walking along the side of the road -A guy with a cell phone sitting in his office near the road or sitting in a roadside cafe? with the accuracy mentioned, A secondary road that sees little traffic outside of rush hour, lined with office buildings is likely to look more congested than the main artery that is choked up, but still crawling...
[EU mode] ok, I'll just call the carpenter and get more shelf space. I still don't understand how that will help my computer though.
I hear you there... Nothing beats spending 4 hours sitting there drinking coffee, then walking out asking a co-worker if he had any idea what the purpose was. Only thing I find worse than an office meeting is a church meeting, that I'm not paid to attend, but don't seem to have much choice...
The ATM Terminals for my bank have the front keypad tied to transactions only. Want real access? then you have to get past the buildings security systems, into a locked room, unlock the back panel then unlock the cash drawers or enter a password to access the machine. (I was contracted to do the cabling when my branch added a 2nd machine.)